Formerly the non-partisan watchdog of the 2010 US Census, and currently an opinion blog that covers all things political, media, foreign policy, globalization, and culture…but sometimes returning to its census/demographics roots.

Popular Posts

Posts Tagged ‘Race and Ethnic Advisory Committees’

On April 29, the left-wing 2010 Census advocacy group The Census Project published a piece by Terri Ann Lowenthal (who served on President Obama’s transition team) that discussed the ethnic media’s perception that 2010 Census advertising efforts had gone seriously awry. Lownthal writes, “A panel of stakeholders advising the Census Bureau on the 2010 census paid advertising campaign issued a vote of “no confidence” in Draftfcb, the prime contractor responsible for the Communications program, which includes advertising and outreach to promote participation in the census. The Joint Advertising Advisory Review Panel (JAARP), comprised of representatives of the Census Bureau’s official advisory committees, met last week to review proposed ads Draftfcb developed for the national census promotion campaign. The Census Bureau’s five Race and Ethnic Advisory Committees (REACs), representing communities of color that are at higher risk of undercounting in the census and other Census Bureau surveys, concurred with JAARP’s ‘no confidence’ statement with respect to Draftfcb’s creative materials for the 2010 census general campaign, at their biannual meetings held later in the week.”

Then, today, I came across an article from Frost Illustrated, an African-American publication, that described how the black community feels they have been failed by the 2010 Census advertising efforts:

Census ad dollars ‘not enough’ black publishers say

By Pharoh Martin
NNPA National Correspondent

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (NNPA)—Rick Wade, deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to the U. S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, was met with a bit of displeasure from black publishers June 26 as they expressed that the government’s Census advertising plan for black newspapers was insufficient.

Wade announced to members of the National Newspaper Publishers Association that out of an estimated budget of more than $24 million dollars for black media advertising only $1.6 million will be spent with black newspapers.

The funds are to be used to assure an accurate count in difficult to count communities, such as among African Americans and Latinos.

“That’s not enough,” one publisher said quickly in response to Wade’s announcement. Another publisher did the math and equated that the estimated numbers will do nothing if split among hundreds of newspapers nationally. At the most it will only buy one ad, she said.

As others chimed in during a question and answer period, Wade assured the audience representing more than 200 black-owned newspapers that the proposed budget is not yet final.

“These are just estimates,” he said. “We believe we have sufficient funds to ensure an accurate count.”

Dorothy Leavell, publisher of the Chicago and Gary Crusader Newspapers, and chair of the NNPA Foundation, then addressed another concern.

“Ten years ago, we ran your ads and didn’t get paid,” she said. “We are a significant part and we want to be counted.”

Wade assured, “These are paid advertisements so you will be paid.”

The intense, but courteous discussion underscored a long-standing contention by black newspaper publishers that they are often undercut by advertisers—including the federal government.

Wade told the group that he understands that black newspapers are not only press but they are also businesses and that it is in the interest of the Department of Commerce to advance businesses.

According to the temporary budget, the $24.7 million being allocated for black population media advertising during the census count will be split three ways. Black population media includes Black- American, Carribean-American and Black-African media outlets, according to Wade. The budget is comparable to the Latino media allocation of $27 million dollars.

The advertising campaign will begin in the fall and will end August 2010. The Census Bureau will adjust and reallocate unused money until it runs out.

The Department of Commerce will be pushing their message about participating in the 2010 census through a large advertising campaign in order to reach the “hardto- count” populations.

Wade spent most of his speech before America’s premier black publishers organization explaining the specifics of the 2010 Census and promoting the importance of $5 billion slated to broadband employment for the black community. But the information surrounding the Census’ advertising campaign is what caught the ears of the dozens of black newspaper publishers in attendance.

Following the breakfast the Census Bureau hosted a seminar called Advertising and Ethnic Media, in which, the Bureau gave more specifics about the process of securing an advertisement buy during the 2010 Census advertising campaign.

Contract management chief Kendall Johnson said as long as the media entity is solvent and has been in business at least a year it would qualify for ad money.

“We’re not looking for metrics. We’re just looking that you can reach the people you say you can reach,” she said.

The advertisements will be placed through multi-cultural advertising firm Globalhue and a pairing of smaller advertising firms. The smaller firms are being used because law states that 40 percent of the $326 million dollar contract’s budget must be spent on small businesses.

And even though 51 percent ad budget will be allocated to ethnicowned media some publishers fear that the money will not make its way down to community papers because many black newspapers have not had positive business experiences with Globalhue.

“We’re not being represented by that agency,” said a publisher who spoke but did not identify himself. “We have our own ad agencies that haven’t excluded us and put us behind the eight-ball. So it’s not [that] we don’t trust [the Census Bureau]. We don’t trust the guys you are doing business with.”

Tuan Nguyen — vice president for media relations for Media and Film
Company, a prominent Vietnamese language entertainment production company
– has been selected by Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke to serve on the
U.S. Census Bureau’s Advisory Committee on the Asian population.

As a member of the nine-person committee, the Anaheim, Calif., resident
will advise the Census Bureau on ways to achieve a more accurate count of
the Asian population in the 2010 Census.

“The Race and Ethnic Advisory Committees provide a continuing channel of
communication between the Census Bureau and race and ethnic communities,”
Census Bureau Acting Director Tom Mesenbourg said. “The committees play a
vital role in ensuring that we make the best effort possible to reach race
and ethnic groups, not only during the 2010 Census, but also the American
Community Survey that is conducted throughout the decade.”

Nguyen came to the United States in 1986 as a refugee from Vietnam. He
lived in Seattle for 10 years before moving to California. He was vice
president of the University of Washington’s Vietnamese Student Association
and has contributed many articles on community issues to local Vietnamese
media outlets throughout the years.

Nguyen worked as a Census 2000 recruiting assistant and was vice
chairman of the Vietnamese Complete Count Committee for Orange County,
Calif., home of the largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam.

He is a member of the Las Vegas organizing committee to host Miss
Vietnam Global, an annual beauty pageant event for Vietnamese communities
around the world. He is a contributing writer to several major Vietnamese
media outlets in Southern California, such as VietBao Daily News, Viet
Weekly, Tre Magazine and Diem Magazine. He also serves on boards of
director for several Vietnamese community-based organizations.

Five race and ethnic advisory committees — African-American, American
Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Hispanic, and Native Hawaiian and Other
Pacific Islander —advise the Census Bureau on issues affecting minority
populations. The committees are assembled from the public at large and
representatives of national, state, local and tribal entities, as well as
nonprofit and private sector organizations. Members of the committees are
academicians, community leaders, policy makers and others interested in an
accurate count for their communities.

AND

CB09-CN.11

Photo

Paul Watanabe Selected for Census Bureau’s
Asian Advisory Committee

Paul Watanabe, director of the Institute for Asian American Studies and
associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts
Boston, has been selected by Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke to serve on
the U.S. Census Bureau’s Advisory Committee on the Asian population.

As a member of the nine-person committee, the South Weymouth, Mass.,
resident will advise the Census Bureau on ways to achieve a more accurate
count of the Asian population in the 2010 Census.

“The Race and Ethnic Advisory Committees provide a continuing channel of
communication between the Census Bureau and race and ethnic communities,”
Census Bureau Acting Director Tom Mesenbourg said. “The committees play a
vital role in ensuring that we make the best effort possible to reach race
and ethnic groups, not only during the 2010 Census, but also the American
Community Survey that is conducted throughout the decade.”

Watanabe’s principal research and teaching interests are in the areas of
American political behavior, ethnic group politics, Asian-Americans and
American foreign policy. He is the author of “Ethnic Groups, Congress, and
American Foreign Policy: the Politics of the Turkish Arms Embargo” and
principal author of “A Dream Deferred: Changing Demographics, Challenges,
and New Opportunities for Boston.” He regularly contributes analysis and
commentary to national and local television, radio, newspapers and
magazines.

He has served on several boards of nonprofit organizations, including
the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, Political
Research Associates, the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, the
Harvard Community Health Plan, the Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative
Fund, and the Asian American Policy Review.

Watanabe was born in Murray, Utah. He earned a bachelor’s degree in
political science from the University of Utah and master’s and doctorate
degrees from Harvard University.

Five race and ethnic advisory committees — African-American, American
Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Hispanic, and Native Hawaiian and Other
Pacific Islander — advise the Census Bureau on issues affecting minority
populations. The committees are assembled from the public at large and
representatives of national, state, local and tribal entities, as well as
nonprofit and private sector organizations. Members of the committees are
academicians, community leaders, policy makers and others interested in an
accurate count for their communities.